


To Be Worthy

by KimmyThain (KrystieT)



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Canon Rewrite, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 05:50:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11411550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrystieT/pseuds/KimmyThain
Summary: Written for the KomaHina Secret Exchange for MutatedEspeon42Prompt: Hinata deliberates about the Kamukura ProjectSummary: Hajime Hinata has never wanted something so badly before, but even so, he has good reason to have his doubts. After all, there is a price to pay for him to be worthy, and he has only so much time to make a decision.





	1. The Beginning of it All

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first KomaHina fic I've ever written, and also the longest fanfic, haha. It was a little rough in the process, but I'm glad it finally got published! I'm still nervous about it, though, haha. It's a DR3 rewrite that takes some things from canon that I liked, and replaced others with things that I wished for, so don't be surprised if there are a few differences in design or timeline!
> 
> I put it in multiple chapters for easier reading, but the chapters seem to get shorter ^^; Not my intention.
> 
> Also I'm not asking for comments, but a kudo, or some other form of acknowledgement that you thought this was okay, would seriously help me out! I am a worrier, haha. Last time, seeing the hit number increase scared me... I've been scared to post, but I wanted to try again, at least once.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this!

To the parents of Hajime Hinata,

Congratulations! After a review of all applicants to the Reserve Course and careful deliberation from the Steering Committee, your _**son**_ /daughter has been selected as a prospective candidate for a project that, should they be selected and accept, will allow them enrollment into Hope’s Peak Academy’s Main Course! To know more information, please make an appointment with Headmaster Jin Kirigiri. We advise you not to disclose any information to anyone yet, unless your child has been successfully enrolled into the Main Course. We understand that competition for this spot in the Main Course is very high, so for your child’s safety, please keep their selection for consideration into our program a secret.

Signed,

Hope’s Peak Academy Board of Trustees


	2. Two months into the school year

“… and that is why it is our pleasure to congratulate you, Hinata-kun, for being selected to participate in the Hope Cultivation Project.” Headmaster Kirigiri was smiling at Hajime as he said it, and if he’d given him this news yesterday, Hajime would have definitely been ecstatic! He would have finally been able to fulfill his dream of attending Hope’s Peak Academy! But then,  _ that _ happened…

“Hinata-kun?”

“Ah!” Hajime quickly recovered and stammered out, “S-sorry, sir. I just… this was really shocking news! I… My parents were so proud that I was even able to get this far, so I-I’m really-!”

Kirigiri held up his hand to stop him. He hadn’t realized how badly he was shaking until just then. Kirigiri looked at Hajime, no longer smiling. There was an awkward pause as Hajime endured the awkward silence, shifting in his seat as more time elapsed. Finally, Kirigiri closed his eyes, resting his chin on intertwined fingers. When he looked back up at Hajime, he had a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hinata-kun, there is no need to worry. By your reaction, I assume you’ve read the papers we gave your parents?” Having hit the nail on the head, Hajime took a sharp intake of breath.

“I… I… did, but I can still do this, sir, I promise!” Hajime was panicked. He knew he had to accept, there was no other option.

His parents paid a huge sum just to get him through the application process. By the time he finally got accepted, they were about to pull him out because the tuition fees were much higher and they definitely couldn’t afford it, but then a miracle happened! Hope’s Peak Academy had offered him,  _ Hajime Hinata _ , to participate in a program that would get him into the Main Course. Sure, it wasn’t guaranteed that he’d be chosen, they had even emphasized that he was only one of five chosen candidates, but even if he wasn’t chosen, they wouldn’t force him to pay the tuition for being a student in the Reserve Course and instead would pay his tuition for him to go back to his old high school.

Of course, going back to his old high school would be nothing less than a complete failure. He was meant for Hope’s Peak Academy, there was no other option! And before, he had thought that even if he stayed in the Reserve Course somehow, he could still be proud of himself because it was still Hope’s Peak Academy! That, of course, had changed from his very first day of school in the Reserve Course. Still, the fact that he might actually have a  _ chance _ of entering the Main Course kept him driven. He wasn’t like anyone else in the Reserve Course, who, within a week, gave up trying to impress the uncaring teachers. He couldn’t accept that he wasn’t meant for more, and even if his determination to prove himself kept the other students away, and even if they, like his former classmates, made snide remarks about him behind his back, he knew that unlike them, he could finally show that he  _ was _ meant to be important.

And then, just last night, after his parents actually gave him an early celebration for being admitted into the program, he took a look at the papers that they signed in advance. Sure, he knew it would be a surgery, but the three of them were  _ told _ that it would be completely safe, and that Hope’s Peak Academy would ensure he would be just fine. After all, they had the world’s best surgeons and researchers working on this project, with almost all of them having been former students of Hope’s Peak Academy. Even so, with the papers he was about to sign, he’d be entrusting them not just his body, but his  _ spirit _ and  _ personality _ as well. They didn’t actually tell him they’d be performing  _ brain _ surgery, though looking back, he should have assumed that. Is he really okay with that? Can he truly trust Hope’s Peak Academy?

“Hinata-kun.”

Hajime looked up, apparently his gaze wandered down to his empty hands. He had been spacing out again, it seems. He flushed in embarrassment and tried to speak up, but the headmaster stopped him.

“Hinata-kun,” he began again, steely eyes piercing into him. “We are very thankful for your earnest participation, and of all the applicants to the Reserve Course, you had the most drive  _ and _ the most potential. It is why we had chosen you, after all. However, even we at Hope’s Peak Academy realize that this is a serious matter, and also a very important decision that  _ you _ must make. This isn’t something to be decided lightly, so I’m glad you took the step to try and understand more about what it is we are asking of you. Although the Committee wanted you to reach a decision immediately, I’m willing to extend our invitation for one more month.” At this, Headmaster Kirigiri sat straighter in his chair. This time when he smiled, his smile was genuine.

“Hinata-kun, the decision is yours alone. Think carefully over this next month what is most important to you, and if you truly believe that this program will help  _ you _ . When I see you next, I hope that you’ll be more confident in your decision.”

When Hajime had left the office, he was even more unsure than when he had walked in. Although he appreciated the headmaster giving him an extension, a part of him wished that he wasn’t given that much time to think over whether he should accept Hope’s Peak’s offer or not. Every reason to trust that this project would be not just good, but great for him swirled in his mind with his distrust that this was really something that could be done, even by people that had Ultimate titles. The headmaster made it feel like maybe he had a choice, but did he really? Going back to his old high school…. it wasn’t an option, but would he really end up sacrificing himself? Not just his body like he had thought, but  _ him _ . Would Hope’s Peak Academy allow  _ Hajime Hinata _ to be lost? 

He was so distracted by all of these doubts swirling in his mind that he didn’t even realize that someone was trying to call out to him.

“Get down!!!”

Before he knew it, someone pushed him down from behind.

“Wh-wha-” he began, attempting to lift his head off the floor, only for whoever-it-was to shove it down again, and just in time too. Right at that moment, a huge… metal flying thing (Was it just Hajime, or was that thing supposed to be a  _ flying dragon _ ?) came from behind them and zoomed past them. Hajime felt the sharp wind jerk him in the direction of the… thing.

Right then, he heard footsteps and haggard breathing as someone was running after whatever almost killed him.

“ _ OIIII!  _ STOPSTOPSTOP!  _ Didn’t you hear me????  _ I said  _ STOOOOOOOOOP! _ ” and with that, the pink-haired guy ran past Hajime, who was still on the floor, stunned.

The person who tackled him got off of him immediately, but Hajime was still trying to make sense of what just happened. One moment, he was walking past Hope’s Peak’s gate, and the next, he was being tackled to the ground and saved an inch from his life from a flying metal  _ death _ machine.

“Hey, are you okay?” Hajime turned over, and looked up to see a white haired boy looking down at him with concern. “…You seem pretty out of it. Ah, but that’s understandable of course, after what just happened, I’m sure you’re just in shock…” This guy… he talked too much. Hajime couldn’t grasp anything, let alone the hand waving in front of him. “Hey, are you listening? Let me help you up!”

“I-I’m fine!” Hajime waved the hand away and got up on his own.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay?” asked the boy in front of him. Now that he could finally think clearly, Hajime was able to take the other boy in. He was about the same height as Hajime, and other than his white hair, he seemed pretty unremarkable… except that unlike Hajime, he was lacking the Reserve Course Insignia that would have been clearly sewn on top of the front right pocket. Clearly, the person in front of him was special in some way.

“Yeah, I’m- I’m fine,” he stammered back. “Um… thank you… er…”

Smiling cheerfully, he answered. “I’m Nagito Komaeda.” He held out his hand.

“Um… Hajime… Hinata,” Hajime spoke, uncertain about why an Ultimate would even bother to introduce himself, let alone apparently want to know  _ his _ name. He then noticed he was being rude and hastily brought his hand out to shake Komaeda’s. Komaeda didn’t seem to mind how clammy Hajime’s hands were.

“Ah, Hinata-kun, then! Nice to meet you!” he smiled at Hajime like as if Hajime was someone to be  _ admired _ . Hajime wasn’t too sure he liked this, though, and pulled away as soon as he could.

“Thank you for helping with that… thing… by the way. Um, what was that?” Having said that so bluntly, Hajime winced inwardly. This was an Ultimate he was talking to, right? He already blundered today’s meeting, and now here he was, probably about to cause another mess that may revoke him from making any decision after all.

“You’re welcome, Hinata-kun, but it was truly an honor that I was able to be of some use to you! And as for what that was, Souda-kun was presenting his newest invention! It is a recreation of a creature from Sonia-san’s stories and is supposed to be able to be controlled by Souda-kun’s pre-programmed voice commands! Ahahaha, Souda-kun is truly the Ultimate Mechanic! His invention worked perfectly, and he was even able to recreate the entire scene from Sonia-san’s stories! It is truly unfortunate that I ruined the show.”

“Ruined the show?” Hajime asked incredulously. This guy seemed the least likely to want to cause any trouble, so Hajime had difficulty seeing what could have caused him to 

“Ah yes, Souda-kun wanted a volunteer to help him! I happened to be closest to the stage, so he chose me to help him, and while at first everything was fine, I accidentally slipped from the ladder and apparently on the way down, I knocked over the ladder, which pushed down the curtains, and it was a domino effect that eventually hit Souda-kun’s invention in way that distorted the microphone… And since then we’ve all been trying to capture it!” If Hajime hadn’t seen the death machine himself, he probably would have thought Komaeda was joking. Even so, how could he believe Komaeda had accidentally set a rogue robot on the school in such a ridiculous manner? This wasn’t some cartoon, after all.

“That’s not possible, right?” he said unthinkingly.

“Ahahaha, Hinata-kun doesn’t believe me? Well, these words are coming from trash like me, but I promise I would never lie to you, Hinata-kun! You see, unlike everyone else, I have a pretty disappointing talent.”

“A disappointing talent… ? What do you mean?” Hajime asked. Whatever talent could cause this much trouble was probably anything  _ but _ disappointing.

“... I’m lucky,” Komaeda stated with obvious lack of interest.

“That’s a talent?!”

“I promise it’s not a joke!” He answered, hands up in a placating manner. “That’s my actual talent. Every year there is a country-wide lottery where only one lucky student is selected at random and is given the title of ‘Ultimate Lucky Student!’” Winning a lottery to become the Ultimate Lucky Student… was that really okay? Well, not that Hajime could complain since Komaeda actually  _ had  _ a talent, and judging from “Souda’s” distant screaming, he could believe it.

“You seem pretty disappointed as well, Hinata-kun,” he stated, having guessed Hajime’s response, even if it wasn’t for the reasons he assumed.

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant!” Hajime exclaimed.

“It’s alright, Hinata-kun, I have mixed feelings about this, too,” Komaeda smiled calmly, and then looked down at his hand. “I never thought an average, talentless high school student like me would ever attend Hope’s Peak Academy-”

“No, that’s not it!” Hajime said, perhaps a bit too loudly since it startled Komaeda. “I mean, at least you have a talent, right?” he continued.

Komaeda crossed his arms, not seeming to agree. “Well, I suppose that if Hope’s Peak Academy considers “luck” a talent, I shouldn’t argue! Ah, but enough about me! What about you, Hinata-kun?”

“Huh?” Hajime asked confused, because surely couldn’t mean-

“I mean to say, what is your Ultimate Talent?” Komaeda asked curiously. It seems Hajime’s guess that Komaeda didn’t realize he wasn’t a student from the Main Course was right after all and he tried to rectify that mistake.

“Wait, I think that you got that wrong, I’m-”

“ _ KOMAEDA! _ ” a large, muscular guy bellowed from Hope’s Peak’s front door, and he ran towards them as he said, “Yukizome-sensei wants us all in the classroom in  _ two minutes _ !”

“Ah, apologies Hinata-kun,” Komaeda laughed lightly as he was lifted off the ground and thrown over the burly guy’s shoulder, “but it seems like I’ve got to go! I hope we run into each other again!” He waved to Hajime as he was carried into the school, and all Hajime could do was smile and let out a slight chuckle at the ridiculousness that, by the relative calmness of all the Main Course students who just got out of class themselves, appears to be just a common occurrence.

With the sun already about to set, Hajime turned away from the Main Campus and started to walk home. Talking to Komaeda didn’t make him  _ forget _ the struggle he faced (in fact, if anything, he was constantly reminded of it), but it did give him a different perspective of what having talent meant. On top of that, Komaeda seemed to believe  _ Hajime _ was an Ultimate. Exactly how he should take it, he really didn’t know. For the rest of the walk home, Hajime thought more about what it would be like to be in the same class as a guy like Komaeda.


	3. Three weeks to deadline

It’s been a week since Headmaster Kirigiri gave Hajime an extension, and surprisingly, things have been somewhat eventful in Hajime’s otherwise dull school days. He met a girl named Nanami in one of the strangest ways (meeting Komaeda being the top of the list, of course). When he asked her if she knew a boy named Komaeda, she told him he was her classmate and questioned if he was Komaeda’s friend (she looked so disappointed when he denied it). Yukizome-sensei, Komaeda and Nanami’s teacher came looking for her, dragging another boy behind her… and Hajime found that he may have to start getting used to seeing the Main Course’s strange introductions and exits.

A few days later, Yukizome-sensei caught him resting on a bench during the lunch break and started asking questions about the Reserve Course, but he avoided talk about getting into the Main Course, deflecting the topic about why she was so concerned for him, and she ended up giving him a few things to think about. Most importantly, she helped him realize that one of the reasons he dreamed so hard about Hope’s Peak Academy was so that he could gain confidence in himself. However, Tengan-san, a former-Headmaster of Hope’s Peak and one of the people who had interviewed Hajime in the elimination process, came by right after. Although Tengan-san probably meant well when he suggested Hajime go back to his old high school, it just made Hajime think about the reason he wanted out in the first place… he needed Hope’s Peak Academy because he  _ couldn’t _ have confidence in himself otherwise. It wasn’t just that Hajime feared normalcy, he wouldn’t be able to live knowing he was replaceable and insignificant in every way. But at the same time, Hajime kept wondering to himself if it was truly worth the price? He’d be entrusting everything to Hope’s Peak Academy. Was it worth it to attempt to become everyone’s Hope? Was it worth it to finally be  _ of _ worth?

And then, just this morning, a new student, Kuzuryuu, had transferred over to Hope’s Peak Academy. She gave...  _ quite _ a first impression during homeroom. Not that it mattered much afterwards what she did since Hajime kept to himself anyways.

No matter what happened though, thoughts of the Hope Cultivation Project plagued him. He still had some doubts about Hope’s Peak Academy, especially seeing how him and the other Reserve Course students, who’d all hoped for more, were treated by the staff and segregated as far from the main building as possible. Given that what they were requesting from him was his “soul, spirit, and body,” what is to say that he wouldn’t be easily replaced? That they actually didn’t need to be so careful with him? Could he truly trust Hope’s Peak Academy? Trying to research into Hope’s Peak to find anything even remotely sketchy gave no other results than that which was predictable, and though he wasn’t expecting it, he found no related results for the Hope Cultivation Project, nor exactly how it was talent was researched and how it was used.

Hajime left the computer lab in dismay once again, though at this point it was more of a routine than anything else. He spent far less time today than he usually did, though, being so done coming across the same results and never getting any answers. He was walking by the fountain when he recognized a familiar white-haired boy sitting on the bench with a few cans of soda stacked next to him.

“Komaeda?” he asked aloud, immediately getting Komaeda’s attentions. Seeing him, Komaeda smiled, although Hajime could feel something was different from the way Komaeda smiled at him before.

“Ah, Hinata-kun! Hello!” As cheerfully as Komaeda spoke, there was definitely an edge to it. “Nanami-san told me she’d met you here once, at around this time a few days ago, so I thought maybe I’d be able to run into you!”

“Um… hi… Komaeda,” Hajime answered slowly.

Komaeda clapped his hands together, still smiling with irritation. “I’m glad I got to meet you again Hinata-kun… I apologize for having left so early last time! We never even got to finish our conversation!”

“Well, I-” Hajime began, only for Komaeda to immediately cut him off.

“Ne, Hinata-kun, what  _ is _ your  _ Ultimate Talent _ ?” Komaeda asked. It was rather clear to Hajime that Komaeda was acting very condescending to him, and Ultimate or not, Hajime wasn’t going to just take this lightly.

“It’s clear you already know, and you clearly don’t like it, so why do you have to ask me?” Hajime glared at him, but Komaeda was completely unfazed.

“How very rude, Hinata-kun, for not even knowing how to introduce yourself properly. Then again, it’s probably what I should expect from a  _ Reserve Course Student _ .” Komaeda crossed his arms, layering the condescension thicker and thicker with every word.

“Hey! It’s not like as if I was trying to hide it!” Hajime shouted back, and he fiercely pointed to the emblem on his chest. “It’s not my fault if you didn’t see this! And why are you mad at  _ me _ when  _ you’re _ the one who just assumed I was from the Main Course?!”

Komaeda simply laughed, but there was clearly no joy in it. “You know, you are right about that! I didn’t know that that was what marked you Reserve Course students! Then again, how was I supposed to know that Reserve Course students even  _ existed? _ ” Hajime was taken aback. Admittedly, he was a bit confused why earlier, when he’d met Nanami, she didn’t seem to know about the Reserve Course, but given that she just woke up from her sleep, he figured she just forgot or hadn’t been paying attention.

“Wha… what?” he asked. Could it be Hope’s Peak tried to keep the Reserve Course a secret from the Main Course? Maybe that was why they placed the Reserve Course so far from the Main Campus... But why? What good would it do to keep the Reserve Course away?

“You see, Hinata-kun, the way my luck works is like a cycle! When something terrible happens to me, I can rely on my luck cycle that whatever happens next will be something just as fortunate as it had been terrible!”

“I don’t understand, what are you trying to-”

“If you’re so confused, I’ll give an example! Let’s say you get in an accident and are hospitalized! Just that much, it seems like bad luck, right?”

“I-”

“But, while you were at the hospital, you met a lovely nurse, and eventually the two of you become a couple! Wouldn’t you say it ended in good luck?”

“Komae-”

“You never would have met her if you didn’t get into an accident. Good luck, following bad luck, that is how it’s  _ always _ been for me!”

“...” At this point, Hajime could only let Komaeda keep on talking about this supposed luck cycle of his.

“So, Hinata-kun, after falling from a ladder and ruining Souda-kun’s project and making him hate me, you’d say I’d experienced some bad luck, right?”

“...”

“So, if you’d been listening, what would you say I was expecting, Hinata-kun?”

“... good luck,” Hajime answered reluctantly. At this point he was tired of Komaeda and just wanted to go home as quickly as possible, although a part of him wanted to know just why it was being a Reserve Course student had changed Komaeda’s demeanor so drastically.

“Hahaha, imagine for a moment, Hinata-kun, how exciting it was for me that, for once, my useless talent could actually help an Ultimate! Just this once, I could finally help an Ultimate shine! But no, of course it wasn’t so simple. The boy I saved was no Ultimate Student, and instead he was a Reserve Course student! I’d never heard about the Reserve Course until Nanami-san told me you were a student there, so I looked it up! Paying huge sums of money just to have the title of being a Hope’s Peak student, and pretending that you could even get  _ close _ to matching the Hope of the Ultimates!” Komaeda’s words struck him hard. Hajime had no rebuttal for this, and it wasn’t like he could mention that it  _ was _ possible for an average person like him to become Ultimate.

“ _ Komaeda-kun! _ ” Nanami called from behind him. “ _ Komaeda-kun, that’s enough! _ ” Nanami stood between the two.

“Ahahaha, Nanami-san! What is the class rep doing here?” Komaeda greeted cheerfully, as if the last few minutes never happened. Nanami just gave him a disappointed look.

“Komaeda-kun, stay here. I want to talk to you when I come back,” Nanami said sternly. She then gently pushed Hajime in the direction of the gates leading off campus.

When they were far enough away, she spoke again. “Komaeda-kun… he wanted to be your friend.”

“Friend?” Hajime repeated, confused.

“When I told Komaeda-kun I’d met you, he was happy, I think. He was a little surprised you weren’t an Ultimate, but he still wanted to meet you. The both of us were curious about what exactly the Reserve Course was, so we looked it up. Komaeda-kun… he was more upset that there was a Reserve Course, and a little disappointed in you, but he still wanted to meet you.”

“If that’s so, then what was all that about? Why’d he find me simply to antagonize me?” Hajime asked in frustration. None of this made any sense, but the weary smile Nanami showed him made him regret his tone.

“Komaeda-kun had a good day today.”

“A good day?”

“Did Komaeda-kun tell you about his Ultimate talent?” she asked softly. Hajime couldn’t see how that was related to him having a good day.

“Yeah, he’s the Ultimate Lucky student, right?” he answered back.

“Did he try to explain it to you?”

Hajime sighed, “Well, he did, but he was just yelling it to me and interrupting me… I just don’t get it.”

“Okay, I’ll try my best to explain… Komaeda-kun believes the most in his luck cycles. He’s found a pattern of how he thinks it works, and the evidence to prove that… it’s very strong,” Nanami sadly explained. “If something bad happens, then Komaeda-kun’s luck will make it so that something very good happens to him next. If this was the only way the cycle worked, it would have been alright, probably. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.”

“I see,” Hajime said, finally piecing it together. “That means that if something good were to happen to him, then his luck would make it so he would experience bad luck later…” Even if Hajime understood that much, the very existence of a luck cycle is what made this so difficult to understand. “That’s just not how real life works…, right?”

By this point, the two of them had reached the gate, so they stopped just outside of it. Nanami clenched harder to the straps of her backpack and bit her lip.

“Even if that’s true, that Komaeda-kun doesn’t actually have a luck cycle, Komaeda-kun  _ believes  _ he does, to the point that he thinks he could control it,” she answered. “Today, nothing went wrong. Actually, all of us were having fun, and no one, not even Komaeda-kun, came across anything significantly bad. Komaeda-kun has been nervous, so he tried to force his luck cycle. I don’t think it worked, so he went looking for you.”

“I see, so that’s why,” Hajime said quietly.

Nanami looked up at him again, and pleaded, “Hinata-kun, I know whatever Komaeda-kun said today wasn’t nice, and you don’t need to forgive him for it, but please give him another chance. Komaeda-kun really wanted to be friends with you!”

“I… okay,” Hajime agreed.

Nanami smiled thankfully, hand over her heart. “Thank you, Hinata-kun. I feel like you and Komaeda-kun would be great friends… probably.” She glanced back in Komaeda’s direction. “And thank you for listening. Komaeda-kun is waiting for me, so I hope to see you some other time!” she smiled, and turned away. Hajime waved her goodbye.

As he walked back home, he thought about what Nanami and Komaeda had said. Although he agreed to give Komaeda a second chance, he wasn’t so sure what he would do if he met Komaeda again. His words cut deep, especially since Hajime had been wanting to meet him before this happened. At the same time, it seemed like if what Nanami said was true, then Komaeda wanted the same thing, and with Nanami begging him to give Komaeda a second chance, it was hard to say no. He didn’t even realize when it was he got back home that day.


	4. Two weeks to deadline

Hajime’s week had been a tiring one. He seemed to have made an acquaintance by the name of Natsumi Kuzuryuu, and though he was secretly grateful for the company during lunch breaks, he wasn’t so keen on this daily routine where Kuzuryuu and Sato began fighting at his desk. He’s gotten used to breaking up their fights, though.

Kuzuryuu seemed to see the same things he did, and he thought a lot over Komaeda’s words, even coming to agreeing with him. All of the other students had just accepted that they were never going to get into the Main Course, and on top of that they were willing to be Reserve Course students for the acknowledgement of being a student at Hope’s Peak, even if it meant having to suffer with this knowledge that they weren’t good enough. Unlike them, Hajime and Kuzuryuu hadn’t given up entering the Main Course yet, although Hajime only had a vague idea of what her motivation might be. Neither of them seemed willing to tell the whole truth to each other, but just knowing that they weren’t alone in their beliefs lifted a bit of the burden, so they spent every break together.

He’d stopped going to the computer lab after school and instead went straight home, although the thoughts about the project never left him. Now, though, he had more to think about. He knew he’d promised Nanami to give Komaeda a second chance, but he was still a bit scared of him. Komaeda was unpredictable, despite his appearance as just a normal guy. However, it’s been a week now, and Hajime knew he’d have to face him some time, so he made his way to the fountain.

Sure enough, Komaeda was there, having a slightly diminished stack of sodas next to him, but this time, Komaeda saw him first.

“Ah, Hinata-kun!” he exclaimed rather happily. Out of instinct, Hajime turned his eyes away. Komaeda, of course, notices right away. “Even if you ignore me, our eyes have already met. You really are a kind person.”

Hajime sighs a bit, and cautiously approaches Komaeda. He did come here to give him a second chance, after all.

“Komaeda…” Hajime started, but he really didn’t know what to tell this guy. Luckily, Komaeda seemed to have understood.

“I actually came to apologize, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda smiled.

“Apologize?”

“I fear I may have been too harsh last week,” Komaeda said sheepishly. “Here.” He held out a package of kusamochi to Hajime.

“Oh!” Hajime’s eyes lit up. When was the last time he’d had kusamochi? “Thank you so much! How’d you know I loved kusamochi?”

“Ahh, I’m glad you liked it, Hinata-kun!” Komaeda exclaimed, very pleased his gift was received well. “I didn’t actually know what to get you! Well, the thing that I was planning to get you got stolen by- … ahahaha, well it doesn’t matter. This was a bit of a last minute gift, so I wasn’t sure whether it would be acceptable or not.”

“You really didn’t know?” Hajime asked, surprised. Komaeda simply laughed in answer.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Say Komaeda, let’s share this!” Hajime offered, ripping the plastic covering.

“Oh, I couldn’t, Hinata-kun! Those are yours!” Komaeda protested, stepping back and raising his hands. “Besides, I don’t really like sweet things anyways.”

“Actually… I also don’t like sweet things all that much, but this came from the supermarket about 3 blocks south of here, right?” Hajime gestured in that general direction. “They make it really well, it’s really not that sweet at all! Try it, please?”

“I really couldn’t-” Komaeda started, but seeing how Hajime was starting to  look a little disappointed, he changed his mind. “I guess I could try just one…”

“I’m glad,” Hajime smiled. “Actually, if my mom found out I ate the whole plate of kusamochi again, she’s sure to get mad at me, haha. Take more if you’d like, Komaeda!”

“I really couldn’t…” he said looking thoughtfully at the kusamochi he grabbed from the plate.

“Are you really just going to stare at it, Komaeda?” Hajime teased him. Komaeda laughed and shook his head. He took a small bite of it, and his eyes widened.

“This is pretty good!” he exclaimed.

“Right?” Hajime answered.

They continued to share the plate of kusamochi, and swapped a few stories about the things they heard about Hope’s Peak Academy growing up, before parting ways when the sun was just about to set. For the first time in a while, Hajime felt light. He’d almost forgotten what it was like, dreaming about going to Hope’s Peak Academy, and strangely, now that he was this close, he’s never felt farther from that dream. Or rather, he’s never felt more scared by what he could do to get that dream.


	5. One week to deadline

This week, Hajime was falling into a routine. Although classes were still the same, at break, he and Kuzuryuu would talk about how awful the Reserve Course was, from the staff that clearly thought they had better things to do and only half-heartedly graded their tests and assignments, to the dreary look of the building since the school seemed to only use the cheapest and dullest lights for every room except the bathrooms. They also complained about the students, but unless they were completely alone, it was usually Kuzuryuu making the snide comments as Hajime quietly agreed (although he was sure the other students already figured out his dislike of their outlook on their situation). Unfortunately, whenever these conversations happened publically, he usually had to be prepared to break up fights between Sato and Kuzuryuu. On occasion, he’d have help from a girl named Koizumi, who was clearly from the Main Course and a friend of Sato’s, and some of her Main Course friends would come by as well. He’d learnt from Kuzuryuu that those two girls used to go to the same school, and she was clearly jealous of Koizumi’s talents with photography. It didn’t help that she found Koizumi bossy, and a “goody-two-shoes.”

After school, he’d met up with Komaeda, and they’d swap stories that started off as childhood memories and whatever was popular at the time, and ended with stories about their life at school (especially after Komaeda had come by covered in bandages and Hajime forced an explanation from him… which, as expected, was a very ridiculous tale that he’d have to believe). Hajime carefully avoided talk about joining the Main Course, and Komaeda avoided talking about his disdain for the existence of the Reserve Course, although he would sometimes prod Hajime about how he could stand being there, and what Hope’s Peak meant for him. He was also visibly smirking at Hajime’s details about how poorly Reserve Course students were treated, but at the same time he gave condolences to Hajime’s suffering.

Although the week had been going great, and Hajime was actually feeling a little better about his situation, he knew he was starting to run out of time. In just a week, he’ll have to make the final decision. That's why, out of the blue, he asked about what Komaeda thought “Hope” was.

“Hope, Hinata-kun?” Komaeda asked, a little surprised. “Well, you’ve known me for a little while, so let me ask you, what do you think hope is?”

“Hope…” Hajime pondered. “Hope is… absolute good?”

“That’s right! That’s exactly it!” Komaeda exclaimed. “Hope is a positive force, and everything created by Hope is absolute good!”

“I see… and so then your view of Hope’s Peak Academy?”

“I’ve also seen Hope’s Peak Academy as the academy that cultivates Hope, of course!” Komaeda said excitedly, gesturing his enthusiasm. Hajime tried his best not to react to that wording, because there was no way Komaeda could know about this.

Just to make sure, he asked him, “What do you mean when you say that Hope’s Peak  _ cultivates  _ Hope?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked cheerfully. “The Ultimate students are all capable of embodying Hope! Any product that they should create, any words they can speak, will be for the absolute good! But though they are capable of embodying Hope, it is Hope’s Peak Academy that makes certain that they are able to use their talents for a Hopeful future and share them with the rest of the world!”

“Then, does that mean you would say that Hope’s Peak Academy is an absolute good?” Hajime blurted out the question without even thinking. Komaeda was again surprised by Hajime’s question, but he gave it some thought before answering again.

“Well, Hope’s Peak Academy  _ is _ the best academy to cultivate Hope, but I can’t agree that it could be called Absolute Good,” he remarked.

“And… why would you say that?” Hajime asked, but Komaeda looked reluctant to reply. If that was so, then that means… “It’s about your opinion on the Reserve Course, isn’t it?”

“Well, Hinata-kun,” he smiled brightly, “you’re certainly right! You’re rather perceptive when you want to be!” That last remark almost sounded like an insult, and it must have shown on Hajime’s face. “Ah, you shouldn’t take my jokes so seriously, Hinata-kun!”

Hajime sighed, and nodded his head. He should probably be getting used to the playful snide remarks since Komaeda makes it so difficult to tell whether he was serious about something or trying to make a joke.

“Well, I know you’ve been avoiding talking about your opinions on the Reserve Course for my sake, Komaeda… but I think it’s best you just tell me your opinion now.”

“Are you sure, Hinata-kun?” Komaeda asked concerned. “Nanami-san said it was best not to, though. Hahaha, she even made me promise not to!”

“So that’s why you never mentioned it… well, I got an idea last week anyways,” he said, only half-jokingly. “You’re usually pretty honest about your opinions, so I was surprised it never came out since then… Anyways, I’m asking now, if you’d like to get that out of the way.” There was a long pause of silence.

“I hate the fact that there is a Reserve Course,” Komaeda finally stated. “I hate the fact that talented students have to share the campus with ordinary people so full of themselves they think they can  _ buy _ their way to being on the level of the Ultimates. They are satisfied with the title of being a Reserve Course student, thinking it somehow makes them closer to the level of the Ultimates. Unlike them, I know my worth, and even being this close to the Ultimates, I know that I’ll never be able to reach the Hope they have! But Reserve Course students, they can never embody Hope! One doesn’t simply  _ get  _ a talent! People are either  _ born _ with talent, or they are not! To think that Hope’s Peak Academy would allow such people to be so close to the embodiments of Hope! The Reserve Course is full of people desperate to have talent! And to have them this close to the Ultimates endangers them! That is why I can’t say that Hope’s Peak Academy is Hope itself, but rather a useful stepping stone for the Ultimates to shine!”

By the end of that speech, Komaeda was huffing in excitement, and Hajime, sitting next to him on that bench, was both upset and overwhelmed. At least this time he was expecting this.

Once Komaeda got a better hold of himself, he only needed to take a glance at Hajime’s face to see that Hajime didn’t understand, and probably didn’t agree. He laughed softly.

“Ah, I hope Hinata-kun doesn’t hate me now that I’ve said this much?” he breathed out. “It would be just my  _ luck _ if-”

“No, that’s wrong,” Hajime interrupted. “Thank you, for being honest with me. I can’t say I’m not  _ upset _ , but… I also wanted to be able to understand you better. And what you said, though I’m still not sure how to take it, it is starting to make sense.” Hajime sighed, and leaned back against the bench, staring at the orange sky. “If that’s what you really think… then why would I be any different? Why, after all that, would you still want to be my friend?”

“... I don’t know myself,” he answered. “There just seems to be something…. different about you. Perhaps it’s because we are not all that different, Hinata-kun? Hmmm, but it seems to be more than just that. There is just something about the way you carry yourself, so full of confidence that you’re meant for better things, it’s different from the others I’ve met, and how they’d admired Hope. Even after all this time, you still hold on to your dream, no matter how much you know you will fail. Somehow, I feel like I lo- admire you for that.”

Hajime was curious about that slip of the tongue, but he was more concerned about what Komaeda said. Maybe this is what the headmaster and the Steering Committee saw in him. Maybe he was meant for more after all.

Since the sun was already halfway set, the two said their farewells and left for home. There was only one more week before Kirigiri would want an answer, and even with all of this knowledge, Hajime still didn’t know how he would answer to Kirigiri on that day.


	6. The day of the deadline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally left out a chapter right before this one, hahaha. So if you were wondering why it from two weeks to deadline, to the day of, that would be the reason ^^; My apologies, but it has been fixed!

This week was the most horrible week that Hajime has ever had. On Monday, the day was starting off as it usually did. Classes were as boring as ever, and Kuzuryuu was once again ranting about getting to the Main Course, but this time, she went too far. She openly threatened Koizumi, and even if it was to bait Sato, Hajime could not agree. He was barely able to stop Sato from hitting Kuzuryuu, who wasn’t even slightly fazed. She threatened Sato with the influence of her family as she left, and Hajime chased after her. That day, he finally learned about why she needed to be in the Main Course, and how desperate she was to be  _ worthy _ of being by her brother’s side. Hajime had no rebuttal, and eventually left her once she’d been able to wipe her eyes dry. He very much regretted not having stayed longer, because the next day, Kuzuryuu was gone.

Devastated, he spent break alone in the garden, the weather as gloomy as his mood. He heard a suspicious conversation between Sato and Koizumi, but confronting her only made her run away. He’d apologized to Komaeda later for not showing up and explained the situation. Komaeda didn’t say a word until he was done, but he had a look of understanding on his face. He consoled Hajime the best he could, but a few things that he said Hajime found insulting, so Hajime left earlier than usual. He wasn’t necessarily mad at Komaeda, especially since it was clear he was trying his very best, but he really couldn’t handle Komaeda while also trying to mourn his friend.

The next morning, Headmaster Kirigiri sent him a letter informing him that due to the recent events, he had to report to the Steering Committee directly and give them his answer. Hajime didn’t think too much about it then. The next few days were a blurr. The only thing he remembered was Sato going missing and Komaeda attempting to help Hajime solve Kuzuryuu’s murder with what little information they had.

That morning, it was announced that Sato’s body was found in a river, and despite the school telling them this was a suicide, Hajime had enough. He wanted the truth, and his only lead thus far was Koizumi. Unfortunately, Hope’s Peak Academy’s security wouldn’t let them through, and the Head of Security himself came to intervene. Needless to say, he was no match for the former-Ultimate Boxer. Although Yukizome-sensei had come to his rescue, his mind was too full of rage at how Hope’s Peak Academy could cover all of this up. The message was clear: Hope’s Peak Academy didn’t care about Reserve Course students. They were using them for money, and covering up any inconveniences. Reserve Course students were expendable and replaceable. Hajime had enough of this treatment, and he had enough of being useless, talentless. If only he had talent, he might have been able to save his classmates.

He walked towards the fountain, just to meet with Komaeda one last time. Thinking about how long it might be until they could meet again sobered him on his way. Thinking back, it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to ask Komaeda to investigate for him, but as for Hajime, he was out of time.

Komaeda was there on the bench with a serious face. His mind must have been on other things since he didn’t notice Hajime approaching until he was right in front of him, and seeing his face, he gasped.

“Hinata-kun! You're hurt! What happened?” he questioned, concerned.

“It’s nothing,” Hajime said. “I promise, I’ll be fine.”

“Hinata-kun, it’s no good to be walking around like that!” he admonished. “I can get Tsumiki-san here and-”

“No, it’s fine,” he interrupted. “Actually, I came here to tell you I’ve got to go somewhere, and I’m sure they can take care of it. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but hopefully it’ll be soon,” he finished with a sad smile, and began walking towards the other side of campus.

“Hinata-kun!” Komaeda grabbed onto his arm. “There’s something you aren’t telling me, right?”

“I can’t tell you, Komaeda, I’m sorry,” Hajime apologized. “But I’m sure you’ll probably get some way of finding out, right?”

Komaeda looked at Hajime in curiosity, but let him go.

“Is this something that you have to do, Hinata-kun?” he asked, now more calm as he accepted that no matter what he would do, Hajime was going to leave.

“Yeah, I think it’s the only thing I  _ can _ do. I’ll see you later, Komaeda,” he finished with a smile.

Komaeda smiled back softly, and with a sense of finality to his voice said, “I hope to meet you again,  Hinata-kun.”

With that, Hajime turned and walked away, his mind on what was to come. If he had all the Ultimate talents, then surely he’d be able to get justice for Kuzuryuu and Sato, and Komaeda would no longer be so disappointed in him for being a Reserve Course student. Hajime would finally be worth something more, and Komaeda wouldn’t be so conflicted. Keeping that in mind, he opened the doors to meet his destiny. He would become everyone’s Hope.


End file.
